Gaming machines, such as slot machines, video poker machines and the like, have been a cornerstone of the gaming industry for several years. Generally, the popularity of such machines with players is dependent on the likelihood (or perceived likelihood) of winning money at the machine and the intrinsic entertainment value of the machine relative to other available gaming options. Where the available gaming options include a number of competing machines and the expectation of winning at each machine is roughly the same (or believed to be the same), players are likely to be attracted to the most entertaining and exciting machines. Shrewd operators consequently strive to employ the most entertaining and exciting machines, features, and enhancements available because such machines attract frequent play and hence increase profitability to the operator. Therefore, there is a continuing need for gaming machine manufacturers to continuously develop new games and improved gaming enhancements that will attract frequent play through enhanced entertainment value to the player.
One concept that has been successfully employed to enhance the entertainment value of a game is the concept of a “secondary” or “bonus” game that may be played in conjunction with a “basic” game. The bonus game may comprise any type of game, either similar to or completely different from the basic game, which is entered upon the occurrence of a selected event or outcome in the basic game. Generally, bonus games provide a greater expectation of winning than the basic game and may also be accompanied with more attractive or unusual video displays and/or audio. Bonus games may additionally award players with “progressive jackpot” awards that are funded, at least in part, by a percentage of coin-in from the gaming machine or a plurality of participating gaming machines. Because the bonus game concept offers tremendous advantages in player appeal and excitement relative to other known games, and because such games are attractive to both players and operators, there is a continuing need to develop gaming systems with new types of bonus games to satisfy the demands of players and operators.
Traditionally, gaming machines provide players with various awards and prizes in both primary games and a variety of bonus games. One problem that arises is that the size and frequency of bonus award payouts is limited by the payback percentage of the gaming machine. Therefore, gaming machines which provide larger and more frequent bonus award payouts usually provide lower payback percentages during base game play, which in turn causes less exciting play and perhaps lowered appeal of the gaming machine as a whole. Another problem that exists is that possible bonus awards and outcomes are not readily visible or comprehensible by the player, who may not understand or take the time to gather the information available through the paytable, help screens, or the like. Yet another problem is that excitement of playing the gaming machine may be diminished by a lack of understanding of the potential for winning primary or bonus awards on the gaming machine. The present invention is directed to solving these and other problems.